About AQHA - Disciplines
Team Penning

Although its presence in Australia is without due recognition this Western horse sport is undergoing huge growth and is also one of the fastest growing equine sports in North America, in some states even rivaling Reining.

What is it?
Team penning is a sport for all ages and holds
appeal for anyone who enjoys precision along with an adrenaline kick at the same time. “It’s about the only sport that mum, dad and the children can all ride in the same event” said the Tamworth Team Penning Association President, Peter Maher. This fast paced event gives a team of three riders 60 - 90 seconds (depending on the class) to separate three head of specifically identified cattle from a herd of around 30 head. Once they have been separated from the herd, the team’s job is to get the separated cattle to the opposite end of the arena and in to the ‘pen’, hence the name Team Penning. There is a catch - no more than four head of cattle are allowed to cross an invisible line known as the time or foul line at one time or the team is automatically disqualified. Of course the other variable – the cattle!

Sometimes the cattle have a different view of the moment to the team that is confronting them and make life just that bit more difficult which makes for some great viewing! For a smooth effortless run, the team must be fine tuned to each other as teamwork is the key. The winning team is the one who has achieved the result within the least amount of time. But to understand this sport a little bit better I will break down the basics.

Where did it come from?
Team Penning evolved from the ranch work of separating cattle into pens for branding, doctoring and or transport. However in Australia the introduction to team penning was initiated by Bob Kildey and Richard Folpp who thought it would be great idea to establish the sport in Australia. Since its arrival it has slowly but surely gained acceptance with a large number of Australian equine enthusiasts.

What is the set up?
Firstly, 30 head of cattle (the herd) are uniquely identified in groups of three. The herd is bunched and settled at the far end of the arena. A third of the way down from the cattle is the start line or foul line. At the opposite end of the arena to the herd is the pen in which the three head have to be yarded to complete the run. The full set up can be seen in the diagram.

What is the ‘Run’?
The ‘run’ is the time it takes the team to perform all the tasks required in the event. A team consists of three members, a ‘first man in’, a ‘second man in’ and a ‘turn back’, each having an individual role.
To start a run, the riders cross the time or foul line in the direction of the herd and the timer starts. The first man in locates a cow with the correct identification and cuts it from the herd, the turn back blocks the rest of the herd (dirty cows) from breaking out. Once the first man has cut his cow out, the second man in follows the same procedure and again the first man in cuts the third cow from the herd. From here all three cows are herded down to the pen. Time is called when all three cows and the riders are in the pen and one of the riders raises their hand above their shoulder to signal that their run is completed. Sounds simple doesn’t it.

What are the challenges of Team Penning?
Simple - beating the time and having fun. In the beginning most teams were penning in under a minute and that was considered very competitive. At the 2004 NSW Team Penning Championships, first, second and third place getters were posting times between 33 and 34 seconds.
The competitive end of this sport the hundredths of a second count, but no matter what level you wish to participate at, it’s a whole lot of fun and just one more way you can enjoy your horse.

How can you get disqualified?
Any unnecessary roughness towards cattle or horses will lead to
disqualification as will contact with the cattle by the rider or any of their equipment. There are other ways but some of the main ones are a team calling for a time with any wrong numbers in the pen, too many cattle on the pen side of the time or foul line or if the riders delay the start of their run 30 seconds after the first call of the announcer. A full list of the rules can be found in AQHA’s Handbook on page 41 of the blue section.

What’s so great about it and is Team Penning For You?
If you are looking for a fun and exciting family activity for riders of all skill levels, wanting to meet great new people then Team Penning is for you.

What do I wear?
Just your normal western hat, long sleeved shirt, western pants and western boots are the typical attire.

The ultimate Team Penning horse…
Of course its an advantage if your horse likes cattle but any horse than can cut a little, has some cow sense and a little bit of speed is what you want “…”the Quarter Horse because of its athletic ability and cow sense makes it ideal but there are other breeds of horses used” said Maher.
To get you started, here are a few tips from Roger Braa. Roger is a two-time USTPA Champion, “…a great team penning horse has to have a good ‘handle’. It must also have the athleticism of a working cowhorse, the turn around and stop of a reiner, the ‘cow’ of a cutter, and be able to move off the rider’s legs, open its shoulders, and shape laterally. Amidst all of this we need our horses to be level-headed”. Roger’s thoughts pretty much sum up the Quarter Horse!

The big one ………
How much does it cost? Team Penning is not necessarily going to break the piggy bank but as always the level that you participate at will have some bearing on the cost. So far as horses go, you will find the full spectrum from the very expensive right back to the not so expensive competing side by side in the arena. The average annual membership fees of a Team Penning club is around $25 - $30 for adults, $15 - $20 for kids and $30 – $35 for the family. Run costs usually average around $10 per adult and $5 per child per run so as you can see the low cost makes the sport quite appealing.

So where can I join in on the fun?
A good way to start is by reading books & hiring a video tape from AQHA. From here it’s a good idea to get to a club day in your local area, generally club days or shows are organized monthly.
AQHA Affiliate the Tamworth Team Penning Association uses club days for the beginners where they have the opportunity to have a more experienced rider join in as an extra to the team to give instruction during their ride, or the other option is to have an experienced rider teamed with two beginners who can give a clinic style ride with tutorial as it happens and is probably the best way to learn quickly.

There you have it, a sneak preview of one of the fastest growing horse sports around and one that will definitely cost effectively satisfy that bit of cowboy in us all.

Photos: Quarter Horse News & Debbie Stocks.